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Grass Diseases: The Fungus Among Us

It’s a typical morning and you decide to enjoy your cup of coffee
out on the patio. After all, you put in a lot of work getting your lawn
to look its absolute best and you’d like to enjoy the fruits of
your labor, right?

But what is that over there? That discolored spot in your grass?

Sorry, my friend, but there’s a really good chance that spot is caused
by grass fungus.

The good news is that you caught it early. Early detection and action is
the key to stop the spread of fungal disease. The bad news is that there
are many common causes of a lawn fungal disease. Some examples include:

Improper mowing

Compacted soil

Overwatering

Over fertilizing

Using the wrong kind of fertilizer

Wrong grass type for your yard

Weather conditions

Before you can treat the fungus, you need to identify what type of fungus
it is. The Grounds Guys offers you this short description of the most
common fungi to help you diagnose which fungus may be causing your problem.

Do you see dead spots or patches? It could be:

Large Patch (formerly known as Brown Patch): The symptoms include small circular patches of brown, lifeless grass.
The patches often join together as they enlarge, reaching diameters of
six feet or more. A dark, grayish-black ring of wilted grass often is
present around the perimeter of the diseased areas in the early morning.

Dollar Spot: The symptoms include small circular areas of straw-colored grass, with
small lesions visible on the blades of grass. The areas range from one
to six inches across, and they may grow together to form large, irregularly
shaped areas. A white, spider web-like growth covering the infected area
may be visible in the morning, especially if dew is present.

Do you see rings or circles of discolored grass? It could be:

Fairy Ring: The symptoms include dark green rings with lighter green centers, sometimes
with mushrooms sprouting up in the outer edges. The mushrooms aren’t
the actual culprits, but they are a product of what’s happening
in the soil beneath. The fungus is killing the organic matter in the soil;
and since mushrooms live off of decaying matter, they are the fruiting
bodies of the fungus. Additionally, the grass within the ring may appear
to be healthy, but later may collapse and die.

Necrotic Ring Spot (typically in cool weather) or Summer Patch (typically
in warm weather): The symptoms include circular patches of green lawn surrounded by a ring of
dead or dying grass, sometimes to referred to as a “frog-eye”
patch. The frog-eyes can range in size from several inches to several
feet in diameter.

If you aren’t experiencing a soggy spring or a summer heat wave,
then a simple change in your lawn care regimen may be enough to prevent
or get rid of grass fungal disease. For example:

Mowing: Keep your blades sharp and mow your lawn at the correct height. Mowing
your lawn too low leaves it vulnerable to disease. Also, wash the underside
of your mower after each use to prevent the spread of any fungus.

Aerate and Dethatch: Aerate every year or two to loosen the soil and remove thick buildups
of thatch. This allows the soil to breath.

Watering: Water early in the morning to allow the grass blades to dry during the
day. Water deeply, but less frequently, to encourage stronger roots and
to allow the water to absorb properly.

Fertilize: Over or under fertilizing can promote some fungal diseases, so choose
the correct fertilizer for your grass type, and apply it exactly as instructed.
Avoid excess nitrogen, which may create a fast green lawn, but it will
have very poor defenses against nitrogen-loving fungi.

For a more difficult fungus issue, or fungi that attack the roots of the
grass, like the Necrotic Ring Spot or Summer Patch fungus, you may need
to administer a systemic round of fungicide. Look for a fungicide that
is rated specifically for your lawn disease.

Grass fungus can undo all the hard work you’ve done to make your
lawn look beautiful. Let the fungus experts at The Grounds Guys help!
We’ll get to the bottom of your fungal problem and get your property
back in tip-top shape so that you can enjoy your lawn…and your
morning coffee.

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This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation
of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only.
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This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation
of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only.
Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises:
California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota,
New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia,
Washington, and Wisconsin. If you are a resident of or want to locate
a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise
unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration
and disclosure requirements in your state.